1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flexible refining agent clad wire for refining molten iron group metal, and more particularly to a flexible refining agent clad wire for refining molten iron group metal characterized by being flexible. Examples of the iron group metal, which is refined by using the refining agent clad wire for molten iron group metal of the invention, are regular steel, special steel, and alloys whose main ingredient is selected from the group consisting of iron (Fe), nickel (Ni) and/or cobalt (Co).
2. Related Art Statement
The inventors disclosed composite clad wires made of refining agent for iron group metal in the following United States Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,892
U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,095
U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,268
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,820
The cross-sectional shape of the clad wires for molten iron group metal of the above U.S. Patents is not restricted, so that a circular, square, or rectangular cross-section is possible. The refining agent clad wire of a desired cross-sectional shape is made by rolling so that the wire has a uniform cross-section.
The conventional refining agent clad wire for molten iron group metal molten iron group metal has a shortcoming in that, when the cross-section area of the clad wire become large in diameter, it is hard to bend.
It was noted that the refining agent clad wires for molten iron group metal with a circular cross-section having an outside diameter of more than 15 mm were extremely difficult to bend. To avoid this difficulty, U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,770 disclosed refining agent clad wire with a square or rectangular cross-section, but its flexibility has not been found quite satisfactory.